Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Green Party will support this Bill because it proposes some positive steps forward in ensuring equality of access, participation and opportunity in schools. However, while what is proposed in this Bill is clearly preferable to the current prevailing system, it simply does not go far enough. This was a golden opportunity to remove finally the baptism barrier from the schools admission process to ensure no child is discriminated against because of his or her religion. Why has the Minister not incorporated the removal of this discriminatory barrier in the Bill? Such barriers have no place in education as equality must be central in any educational reform. Proper and fair access to education is a cornerstone of equality. Therefore, although the Green Party will support this Bill, I will table amendments on Committee Stage to address the baptism barrier that the Government simply refuses to address.

Schools should reflect the modern diversity of families and communities. No State-funded school should be able to discriminate for or against a child on the basis of his or her religion. While there is a place for freedom of religion and religious schools, this should be recognised and respected, but not in an exclusive way. Taxpayers’ money should not fund discrimination. While I welcome the provision in this Bill whereby schools will have to publish their procedures for working with children who do not wish to partake in religious instruction classes, it is essential that the Department of Education and Skills goes further and provides guidelines to schools and accessible options for children who will opt out of religious classes, spelling out and committing to access for these children to appropriate alternatives to such classes.

The events of recent days, weeks and months have surely shown us that our children are growing up in very worrying times. We have the challenges of climate change, the rise of the far right and populists preaching intolerance and hate for those who are "other" - other nationalities, other races, other genders, other sexual orientations and other religions. Anyone who has spoken to a young child knows that children simply do not see these differences or these so-called others. Where they do notice a difference, it is to be explored, to be gazed on in wonder and to be celebrated. Put simply, we have an obligation to challenge hate and fear of those different from ourselves. We must defeat exclusion and alienation with inclusivity in everything we do, including how we educate our children.

The most valuable lessons any child can learn are respect, tolerance and love for all the people around him or her, regardless of their ethnicity, age, religion, the language they speak or where they are from. We as legislators must do all in our power to protect children from becoming isolated and insulated. I am concerned that we are falling short of doing what

we can and as a result we deprive children of the rich lasting experience of encountering children who come from different backgrounds, cultures, points of view and ways of life or religious beliefs. Apart from the long-term benefits of helping to create a more stable, tolerant enriched society a child who cannot interact with the wonderful diversity of this country and the world to the fullest possible extent is a child whose childhood is not as rich as it should be. Schools are where children make friends, and often where their parents make friends also. While the religious ethos of many schools is helping to shape the good values of the people of this country, no child should be denied a possible friend because he or she prays in a different way, or he or she does not pray at all.

That said, I acknowledge the contribution made by religious orders to education over hundreds of years. Many of us here in the Chamber owe our education to the religious orders. They were often the only educators who were playing an invaluable role at home and abroad. So many of them are rightly renowned throughout the world. In the past, they provided education in a voluntary capacity, and at times at grave risk to their own lives. We can acknowledge that and show our appreciation while at the same time we prepare to step forward into a new era, a new Ireland which is a changing society where all children must be embraced and treated equally. The demand for non-denominational schools in Ireland is surely an indication that many parents seek a more secular and pluralist education for their children. Parents should be allowed make that choice and children should be allowed to benefit from it.

This Bill also takes some steps towards removing barriers for children with special educational needs, but I respectfully suggest that, again, it does not go far enough and to that end I intend tabling amendments on Committee Stage. At a recent education committee briefing with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, I noted that many schools do not open classes for children with autism despite a local need being identified. I believe the Bill should have a provision whereby the NCSE would have the power to instruct a school to do so. That would, of course, be in cases where a school has the physical space to allow for that. The NCSE could then provide the appropriate resources. That would prevent the current situation where parents are stressed and frantically trying to find appropriate schools, making numerous applications, being refused and having to go through numerous appeals. I have met many such parents while canvassing the area of Dublin Rathdown and their stress, hurt and sometimes exhaustion was palpable. It is something I will keep with me and I propose that we as legislators should not allow that to continue. Simple measures to address the issue in the Bill would relieve massive burdens from those parents.

We must acknowledge, embrace and cater for a changing, modern society in which all children are treated equally when it comes to education. Religious discrimination has no place in modern society. All schools in receipt of State funding should be fair, transparent and inclusive in their admissions policies and discrimination on the basis of religion or special educational need should never be tolerated. Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

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